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Auction: 22003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 159

The Victory Medal awarded to Lieutenant L. C. C. Rogers M.C., 1/7th Gurkha Rifles attached 1/9th Gurkha Rifles, who was mortally wounded in action on Christmas Eve 1914, on which occasion he was recommended for the Victoria Cross - he died of those wounds on Christmas Day

Victory Medal 1914-19 (Lieut. L. C. C. Rogers.), with M.I.D. oak leaves, very fine

[M.C.] London Gazette 15 February 1915:

'For conspicuous gallantry at Festubert on 24th December 1914, in assisting in the rescue of a severely wounded man who had been lying in front of the enemy's trenches for 48 hours. Lieutenant Rogers was mortally wounded on this occasion and died the following day.'

Leonard Castel Campbell Rogers was born at Cuttack, India on 29 January 1886 and was educated at Blundells, when he was in the cricket and football XI. Commissioned into the Bedfordshire Regiment in 1906, he joined the 7th Gurkha Rifles in November 1908, being made Quartermaster in 1913.

Upon the outbreak of the Great War he served in France and was in action at Festubert, with Rogers being attached to the 1/9th Gurkha Rifles, his orderly Rifleman Panchbir Mal at his side. They took over the line previously occupied by the Northamptonshire Regiment and Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Rogers would discover that a man lay out in the open, wounded but alive. The 9th Gurkha Rifles continues:

'A shallow ditch ran forward from the Coldstream Guards' trench some distance to the right of that held by the Battalion, in the direction of the wounded man. Lieutenant Rogers crawled along this, and running forward about one hundred yards reached, and with difficulty picked up the man and started to return. Unable to carry the weight, he fell some forty yards from the end of the ditch where Panchbir had been told to remain. The latter at once rushed to his assistance and together they lifted the wounded man on to Panchbir's back and restarted. Heavy rifle fire had now been opened and Rogers fell, hit through the back, while the wounded man was again hit in the leg, and the orderly had two bullets through his greatcoat. Undeterred, Panchbir carried him to the ditch, and then, retracing his steps, in turn brought back Lieutenant Rogers. Lieutenant Murray had now reached the spot, and with his assistance both were then successfully brought into the safety of the fire trench. This particularly gallant act took place in broad daylight, at 3pm on a still quiet afternoon, when conditions did anything but inspire cold-blooded deeds of bravery.

Unfortunately, Lieutenant Rogers died of his wounds the following morning. Both were strongly recommended for the Victoria Cross. Lieutenant Rogers, however, received the Military Cross posthumously, while Rifleman Panchbir received the I.O.M. 2nd Class, and was promoted Havildar.'

He is buried in the Le Touret Cemetery, his grave bearing the inscription:

'FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.'

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Sold for
£520

Starting price
£80